Making shovel handles



sept. 2, 1930. n STAUTEREf-AL' 1,774,770

v MAKING sHovEL. HANDLES i Filed Dec. 27, 1927 2 sheetssheet vi sept. 2, 1930. I

E. s'rAuTER ET AL MAKING sHovEL HANDLES 2 sheets-sheer 2 l Filed Dec. 27, 1927 -Applicationaia..December -27, 11927.L serial No. 242,903..-

This invention pertains Ato tool handles andiy i relatesmore particularly toanapparatus for' *making wooden shovel handles-ofthesplit'D type.' 'f Handles i for shovels, spades-and similar tools usuallycomprise awoodenhaft'which is split at its upper end to- ,provide a fork or yoke whose side arms. arespread apartandl held in diverging relationbyjmeans of'a ygrip bar inserted between. their,` ends. and secured" by means of a' rod or bolt extendingaxially through the grip' bar; To Vfoi-inthe forked.

end of the Wooden haft, the haft is commonly .saw cutlongtudinally along its yaxis the divided end is treated with steam or other1softening'agent to render it morepliable andthe 1 y s ired shape'by amolding` apparatus-which invention has mainlyftodolwith'means for'y `spreading and shaping the forked end of the Xes lthe configuration' ofthe forkfand holds the haft until the woodi's. dried# The present The practice heretofore followed in shaping i divided end fofth'ewoodenhaft endwiseinto a metalmold havingabifurcated channel defined by diverging outerwalls and a .V,

the fork generally has consisted inl forcing the shaped inner wall, Vsaid lwalls being integral with the base of the mold .and y( :onsequently vfixed in position with respect to'each' other.

The apex of the Vl-sh'aped portion olf the mold enters the saw cut'in the haft asthehaft is i in which the fork is retainedff'until ythe wood driven intothe mold, andspreads theitines of the fork into the bifurcated channelfwithhas dried andthe yshape ofthe-fork has b ecome set. The forked haft'isfthen priedy upwardly from the mold, 'and is readyforjthe attachment offthejfgrip bar.

. The use olf thisy .prevailng .i method fre-v y quently results splintering or breaking thev arms of the fork, particularly :iffthe grainof the wood is not true, 'and often produces flop` lf sijdedV handles, especially V.ijf fthelsavv out is not exactly medial; andfthewastelof ymat'efV Vrial owing to lthese causesI` is considerable.

Such objectionable'results are believed to be due .to-the rigidity l.of the walls .of the mold andl'tothe fact that the necessary width ofthe period.

i EDWIN STA'UT'ER'-Anni!Lnwisfngxmnnnn, mais, TEXAS; As'sIvGNoRfs 4imV .giving 1,11 f sHoVEL &-TooLfoo1vrifANY`, oF.BosToN, MassAoHUsETTsJAjooRPoItATIoNOFNEW l'properly supponting'bothisides of'theforked arms.V The` method is furthermorev expensive,

for mldS 0f thSfyPB-arepostlygjfacomplete .j r mold is necessary yforfsllapfirig each handle;

and although the mo-ldsmay, be used lfor successive spreading operations;k a'consderable i be, tied up duringrthejdrying number.v must VIt islthepurposeoflthisinvention to over-` come these objectionsbytthe provisionof im. f

proved means for so spreading andfshaping the divided end o-f the woodenhaft that the possibility ofsplitting or breaking thewoodo5Y f is largelyobviated andthe production foflop-` sided handlesis practically eliminated. To v jthis. end, the improvedfapparatus comprises a mold 'which in exterior conformation isv sirni ilarto the prio-r m'old'sbut in whichthe int'erior', fixed V-shaped portion is oniittedf; andl a shoefslidable within themold andhaVing-a pointed end andv dii/erging .sides Aadapted to spread the divided` end of a haft resting in the mold V'and to press .the arms ofthe fork'against y, the outer wall Y.of the mold, when .the shoe -isf' foicedinto proper positon. VA furtherobject i of the invention is yto-.provideY av .retaining meniberadapted to .be removablycarriedby Vthe Vshoeand to hold the arms of the forkin shoe .maybe removedv from they mold and im? :5f

fmediatelyused in. another operation. LFYur--,

proper position within the mold, so that the theriobjeots reside in the improved cons'trucf.`

tion hereinafter described'v andpointedv outin 85 fthe appended claims, whichperrnitthe. im-

mediate. utilizationof thefwhole or a portiony of the mold in a. successive operation as soon iasv 'one spreading operation; isv r.completeoL; f

Y. Preferred embodiments ofthe improved apparatus. are illustratedjin the: accompanyl' ing drawings, in which:

Figal lis@ plan view operation;

priorlto the removal'of the shoe;

oftheuieidfwifhihe! dividedV haft inposition` for' thespreading sa V' 1g.' 3) 1t accordingly exertsjuniform convtacting pressure upon the inner ksides of the c l ,Fig 4 illustrates the positionv of the retainingmember `after removal ofthe shoe, and

also shows a mold; K A 4 Fig. eis a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Figi;

f rigen-apian View 'oftheshewah the modified construction ofthe upper 4p'orti'onthereof lremoved to showv the knormalposition of retaining member;

{..vtai-niI-Ig "'lrnembereaas-.applied tito?l the forked arms; and l n Fig. 8 is an end vievs7 ofthe anoldzan'd shoe l equipped with, the retaining member of Fig. 7 v The .jiron` or other suitable metal and may be formed witha base `9/an`d integralside walls 4which diverge toward the outer yend of the mold' fromv aconstricted throat 11 and which define theexternal shape of the finished handle.".The""outer end of the Wooden haft fl2fjhavin'g thelongitudinal saw cut 13 is placed in the'mold substantially as shown in Fig. 1, with the sawcut terminating at thefthroat of the mold.`l Theinner end of V"the Smoldandthe haft'jare then suitably parts during the spreading operation which,

itjwillfbe understood, may be` performed by appropriate machinery. y'

- The slidable shoellniaybe f-ormed of .a so'lidwblock voffmetalor of flat sections, as hereinafter described, and is substantially V- shaped in plan,as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, so thatgits apexzwill. enter .the saw Vcut in the haft and spread'fthearms 15 ofthe fork against the sidewalls 10 ofthe mold, when the shoe is forcedtoward the throat of the mold. f Asthe shoe is slidable transverselyas well as 1lon'gitudinally` upon" the base of the mold, it

isLapparent thatthe: arms will' beforced Tinto close'conta'ct with the sidewalls 10 even .though vthe saw out is not exactly medial of the haft. i-When'the yshoe isforced home arms 15, and the walls 10v afford resisting sup- Y. port to the outer sides ofthe arms through- *out'their length; thus obviating'to a large degree the danger of splitting the wood durfing the spreading process.

f The shoepreferablyl has -anedge recess 16 (Figgyadapted loosely to receive a LIV-shaped Yretaining member* 17v which may be made lof steeLVor-fother' metal, preferably resilient.

i ithe'apexof the'shoewithin the borders therefof andthe ends 18 normally spring outwardly .au

The base ofthe U-,shapedpiece 17 fits behind ofthe sides ofthe shoe (Fig. 6) but when the 'fshoe is 'forcedinto the mold thel ends. y18 are contractedwithin the# recess 16," 'as indicated v.in Figs. 8 and ilbyzcontact with the arms "215. AThe/ends"18do not, howeven'bind Ain the ="shoe'-re'cess',` so thatthe 'shoe may be removed 1 ``=ig.g7 illustrates an optional/form of reimold. is preferably of malleable mold.

from the' mold leaving the retaining member to hold the arms 15 against the side walls 10, as shown in Fig. l, until the wood is dry. The shoe is thus rendered available for use in another spreading operation, with a consoquent saving in necessary material and cost ofmanufacture. f`

A further saving may be effected by malring the whole or a portion of the mold immediately available for a subsequent spread- .ing process. 'ForeXampleJthe end portion of the mold maybe divided from the lthroat fportiom'asat 19, Fig. 1, dowel pins 2O being provided A. detachably to connect the parts when desired. The outer portion ofthe mold and thehaft with its retaining member may laccordingly be removed from the throat portion during the drying period.VK By providing means which in the drawings is illustrated as hooks21 at the ends of the retaining member 17, the arms 15 may be held in-drying position by said member only, so 'that the `haft may be withdrawn from the mold as soon as the spreading operation is completedv (see Figs. 7 and 8) It should be understood that my invention contemplates the use of a retaining, member of any suitable shapel and having-any desired formof means for engag- .ing and holding the arms. in such case, the

ends of the walls 10 .may be notched or cut away as at 22 to accommodate the hooks 21 or vother meanswhen the shoe is forced into the Although the shoe may,` as aforesaid, be formed from a single metal block, it may also be sectional, if desired, to reduce the cost of manufacture when thev shoe is to be equipped with the retaining member 17. For example, the shoemay be constructed of rflat metal sheets, comprising a base 23, ,a smaller intermediatespacing piece 24 having a'curved end `adaptedto abut the base of the ill-shaped .member 17 ,i land a top -piece 25 similar in shape to the base 22. rThese parts may be secured'together by bolts 26, or by welding or other suitable means.` Y

Apparatus for making split-il shovel handles, constructed as above described vmay be prepared at a reasonable cost and may be utilized simply and efficiently to achieve the.

beneficial .results mentioned above. ItY has been found that the wastageof material caused by splitting the wooden'forks and imperfect handle formation ivhen usingv the `:former 'type of mold amounted to ap-proxi-` mately sixteen percent, and that ninety `per cent of this wastage is eliminated by utilizing the apparatus herein illustrated. It will be understood, however, that the construction of the elements maybe modified to Suit particular purposes, ,without departing fromthe essence of this vvinvention as defined inthe fol.-

lowing claims.

We claim:

J.etpparatus'forn forming tool handles,`

shoehaving an edge recess, and a substantlaled tohold said arms apart, whereby the shoe may be removed from the mold before the f,

s formation of the arms has become set.

I comprising a mold havingy a flat base and QQApparatus for formingtoolhandles,

comprising a mold having space ddiverging side walls, substantially conforming 1n shape tothe exterior contour of the' finished handle, a shoeslidable longitudinally and .transversely of the mold and adapted to spread the arms v' of-a haft fork against said side walls, said ly U-shaped retaining member adapted loosely to lit within said edgerecess and to Lengage and hold said arms against said walls, whereby the shoe may be removed fromJthe mold' beforethe formation ofthe arms has become set.

3. Apparatus forv forming tool handles,

spaced, diverging sidev .walls substantially conforming in shape tothe eXteriorcontour Y y day of'December,

of the finished handle,.ashoe freely slidable on said base and adapted to spread the divided arms of a haft'forl against said side walls, saidshoehaving a pointed end vand an Y exterior contour substantially conforming inl v shape to theinner face ofthe finishedvhandle and having an edge recess deeper at the pointed end than at the sides of the shoe, and arsubstantially U-shaped yretainingmember adapted loosely to fit within said yedge recess with the base of the U Ltoward said pointed Yend,

` vsaid retaining member serving toy lock said u arms against said side walls whereby the shoe may be removed from said member and from the moldv before the formation ofthe arms has become set.

4. Apparatus for forming tool handles, comprising a mold having spaced, diverging side walls, `a retaining member adapted yto take the proper position and press said arms i, f l i outwardly against the sidewalls of the mold 1 and said arms will bev tightly clamped between said walls and the said shoe.

6..-7Apparatus` for forming tool handles comprising mold means having spaced, di'- verging side walls, a wedge-shapedfshoe for spreading the armsA of a haft.' outwardly f, ,Y against the side walls of the moldl and a rel 4 taining member removably carried by the said shoe and having means engageable with n l thespread arms'to'hold-themin spreadposi# 5.

tion so thatthehaftmayrbe removed from'the 4mold means afterthesaid shoe has been 'rel-` moved and before the arms'become seta., 80

7. Apparatus for forming tool handles,

.comprising means koperable to'spread andv form one end of'a haft to provide diverging side arms and retaining means removably lassociated with the first mentioned means for `,engagement with the spread arms ofthe haft l to hold them in position prior of their becoming a setY therebypermitting removal fromv a portionor all'Iof the spreading andV forming s vusrat Paris, Texas, `this l 20th V90 means..

' Signed by l1927'. l s

vEDWIN STAUTER., LEWIS N; KIMERER.-

hold thevarms of a haft fork againstr said side Y wall, and means for spreading said arms and forcing saidretaimng member therebetween,

Y said retaining member having hooked ends adapted to clasp `the ends of the/respective arms, so that the haft and retaining member may be removed fromthe mold before the formation ofthe arms has become set. i

5; Apparatus for 'forming' tool handles,

comprising a mold having spaced, diverging' v `v side walls substantially conforming 1n shape to the eXterior'contour of the side arms of a finished handle, and a self-positioning shoe slidable on said baseand radapted forboth longitudinal and transverse;movement rela v tive tothe mold, said shoe having anv exterior contour substantially conforming `inshape to the inner faces of the side arms of a finished v handle, whereby, when the shoe is forcedinto the mold between theV arms of a haft, it will 

